MLB Capsules - NL: Cardinals sign Garcia to 4-year deal
ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals solidified their rotation for the future, signing left-hander Jaime Garcia to a four-year contract extension Wednesday with club options for a fifth and sixth season.
The 25-year-old Garcia leads the Cardinals in victories at the All-Star break, going 9-3 with a 3.23 ERA. He was due to be eligible for arbitration for the first time after the season.
Garcia was third in National League rookie of the year balloting last year after he went 13-8. His 2.70 ERA was the lowest by a Cardinals left-hander since John Tudor had a 2.40 ERA in 1990.
Giants go for repeat in season’s second half
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Giants manager Bruce Bochy wasn’t shy about recognizing his team’s problems at the All-Star break: The hitting is anemic, scoring scarce and statistics mind-boggling.
"I don’t mean to be Debbie Downer," he said. "We’re in first place."
How the injury-filled Giants are leading the NL West can be a bit baffling. About all the defending World Series champions do well is pitch close and win closer, and that seems to be the only things that matter.
The Giants open a four-game series at San Diego on Thursday, beginning the season’s second half in first place for the first time since 2003 and looking every bit the surprising contender they were a year ago.
"This first half is a good one for us with the nicks that we’ve taken as players and everyone showing resiliency and bouncing back and being a part of the team regardless of what they’re asked to do," two-time NL Cy Young Award winner Tim Lincecum said. "We’re in a good spot right now."
Hard to argue that considering what they’ve endured.
The Giants lost the middle of their lineup — Buster Posey, Freddy Sanchez and Pablo Sandoval — to injuries for significant time. They had a road-stacked schedule early and enough championship ceremonies and celebrations to provide plenty of distractions.
Players even had camera crews following their every move for a documentary titled "The Franchise," with the first episode premiering Wednesday night on Showtime. The Giants certainly haven’t lacked for drama.
Posey, the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, was lost for the season after he tore three ligaments in his left ankle and fractured a bone in his lower leg in a home-plate collision with Florida’s Scott Cousins on May 25.
Sanchez, the 2006 NL batting champion, has been out since he dislocated his right shoulder diving for a ball June 10, and there’s no guarantee the sure-handed second baseman will return soon.
Sandoval also missed more than six weeks recovering from right wrist surgery but has carried San Francisco since. The All-Star third baseman has a career-high 21-game hitting streak.
"We need to keep fighting the way we have in the first half," Sandoval said. "We’ve had a couple of tough injuries. Buster, Freddy, I was on the DL. We are a team. We need to pull together like we did in the first half."
The Giants have continued to play the kind of games they did all of last year: tight ones dependent on the pitcher being almost perfect. They lead the majors with a 25-12 record in one-run games this season, thanks in large part to a talented rotation and a strong bullpen.
San Francisco’s rotation received a big boost from 33-year-old journeyman Ryan Vogelsong, who leads the staff with a 2.17 ERA and made his first All-Star team in a breakout season since replacing the injured Barry Zito. If Vogelsong comes anywhere close to duplicating his remarkable start, it could be a scary outlook for the National League.
The rest of the staff carried the franchise to its first title since 1954 and first since moving West in 1958 last season, and it’s doing it again despite the fourth-worst run support in the majors.
"It has been tough," said Matt Cain, one of four Giants All-Star pitchers. "That shows what group of guys we have and what kind of team we have. We’re not always banking on one guy to pick everyone up. That really works out well."
While it can be easy to pick at the Giants’ shortcomings, it’s hard to argue with the end results.
A year ago, they were in fourth place in the division and four games behind the first-place Padres. Now they have a three-game lead over a young Arizona team and are 8½ games ahead of banged-up Colorado.
Whether San Francisco could make another deep playoff run with such little scoring punch remains a mystery.
The Giants are the only team in the majors without a player with at least 10 home runs and are in desperate need of some power.
General manager Brian Sabean will surely try to rekindle his magic moves from a year ago, when late-season pickups Cody Ross and Pat Burrell turned into postseason stars.
Otherwise it will be all on the pitchers to the carry the club again.
"It’s hard to ask this pitching to keep doing what it’s doing," Bochy said. "The guys are relentless, resilient. They fight every day. That’s what we’ll need in the second half. It’s going to be a tight race. It’s all about having the will. These guys show it every day."
-- Antonio Gonzalez
As expected, Phillies lead the pack
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The Philadelphia Phillies are right where they were supposed to be, leading the majors in wins at the All-Star break.
It’s proof what excellent pitching can do.
With Roy Halladay, Cliff Lee and Cole Hamels leading the way, the staff has helped the Phillies overcome a slew of injuries and a mediocre offense.
While the three aces have lived up to all that preseason hype, two young relievers have far exceeded expectations. Antonio Bastardo and Michael Stutes have been vital to Philadelphia’s success, especially since the team has been without its three top closers for long stretches.
"Our pitching definitely jumps out at you, not only our starters but also the consistency of our bullpen and the fact we had two kids (Bastardo and Stutes) step in and really pitch good for us," manager Charlie Manuel said. "That became big. Hopefully we can keep going and have a big second half."
The Phillies are 57-34, 3½ games ahead of Atlanta in their quest for a fifth straight NL East title. They’ve got a long way to go in a season where only a World Series championship would be considered a success.
"I think it’s been good," left fielder Raul Ibanez said, assessing the first half. "We’re in a good position. We’re in the situation that a lot of teams would like to be in. I think we can do better. The potential is there to be even better than the first half. It’s an exciting time, it’s a lot of fun."
Ibanez isn’t kidding. The Phillies can be better because they’re due to get some key players back. It should only help when starters Roy Oswalt and Joe Blanton and relievers Ryan Madson, Jose Contreras and Brad Lidge return from the disabled list.
Oswalt, the fourth ace, started out 3-0. But he hurt his back, struggled and landed on the DL. Madson was outstanding filling in as the closer, converting 15 of 16 save chances, before a hand injury forced him to the bench.
Overall, the Phillies lead the majors with a 3.02 ERA. Hamels (2.32), Halladay (2.45) and Lee (2.82) are among the top seven in the NL.
"After having Roy, Roy and myself and adding Cliff, that was something we expected," Hamels said of the dominant pitching. "I think it’s great, but at the same time, it’s the first half and not the full season. Try to take the positives and still work as hard as I can and try to get better. That’s the nature we have on our pitching staff that we can always get better."
Offensively, there’s certainly room for improvement. The Phillies used to outslug teams, and they mashed their way to the 2008 World Series title. But Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard aren’t producing the way they once did. There’s still a need for another right-handed bat in the lineup, and their two All-Star regulars, Shane Victorino and Placido Polanco, are hurt.
The Phillies are 20th in the majors in batting average (.250), 14th in runs scored (384) and 18th in homers (78).
"I expect us to score more runs, especially if we can get our team back and get healthy," Manuel said. "When Victorino went into the five-hole, he started showing us some consistency and if we can get Polly well, he’s a .300 hitter."
Despite obvious concerns, Manuel is pleased with the team’s performance so far.
"I like our team a lot. I’m proud of our team," he said. "Matter of fact, it’s hard for me sometimes. I’ve always tried to stay positive but it’s hard for me to get negative when we’re winning games because that sends a terrible message. Winning is what it’s all about. That’s our No. 1 priority when we come to the ballpark. That’s what counts more than anything else, that’s what counts for me and a lot of our players. We’re trying to get everyone to think that way."
Winning in October is all that matters for the Phillies.
-- Rob Maaddi
Rockies head into 2nd half 8½ games behind Giants
DENVER (AP) — So far, the Colorado Rockies have wobbled under such weighty expectations.
Boasting a powerful 1-2 punch on the mound and two potent hitters in the lineup, the Rockies were a trendy pick coming out of spring training to win the NL West.
But injuries and inconsistent play have hampered the Rockies, who trail reigning World Series champion San Francisco by 8½ games heading into the second half of the season.
In the NL wild card picture, it’s hardly prettier: The surging Atlanta Braves lead Colorado by 10½ games.
Though the Rockies are known as a second-half team, they have their work cut out to make the postseason for a third time in five years, especially with one of their top pitchers, Jorge De La Rosa, sustaining a season-ending elbow injury in May and their other important arm, Ubaldo Jimenez, still attempting to recapture the form that led to his stellar season in 2010.
This wasn’t supposed to be how the season went for a team that invested more than $250 million in the offseason to improve a club that finished 83-79 last year.
Colorado locked up sluggers Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez to lucrative long-term deals, along with bringing back De La Rosa. The team also added veteran infielders Ty Wigginton, who’s coming out of an early season slump, and Jose Lopez, whose struggles led to his release.
At 43-48, they’re below .500 at the All-Star break for the first time since 2008.
"Obviously, I think, to a certain extent ‘disappointing,’" Rockies manager Jim Tracy said when asked to sum up the first half. "And yet still fighting our rear ends off. I say that just because of some of the different balls that have had to be juggled and some of the unknowns that you encounter along the way."
Among them, the uneven play of outfielder Dexter Fowler and third baseman Ian Stewart. Colorado was banking on breakthrough seasons from these two home-grown players, but instead they’ve spent chunks of time at Triple-A Colorado Springs trying to figure out their swings.
Even more, the Rockies have been besieged by injuries, recently losing promising outfielder Charlie Blackmon when he broke his left foot running the bases.
Aaron Cook, the team’s all-time leader in wins, also missed the first two months with a fractured right index finger. He’s 0-4 with a 5.82 ERA since his return.
The Rockies have traditionally soared in the second half, including a memorable run in 2007 when they won 14 of 15 just to clinch the NL wild card and then used the momentum to carry them into the World Series, where they were swept by Boston.
So this deficit doesn’t daunt them.
"We believe in ourselves. We’ll make a run," Tulowitzki said. "Sooner or later, we’re going to make this thing a tight race."
That is, if they can keep the offense cranked up.
The Rockies’ bats have been erratic, leading Tracy to juggle around the lineup. He may have hit on the right combination by inserting Gonzalez, last year’s NL batting champ, into the leadoff spot. Gonzalez has caught fire since the switch from No. 3 in the order.
Another surprise has been the emergence of Jhoulys Chacin, who’s picked up the slack in the rotation. The 23-year-old Chacin is 8-7 with a 3.16 ERA.
Jimenez, who won a franchise-record 19 games last season, has been just as mystified by his drastic dip in production as everyone else.
This time last year, the hard-throwing righty was regarded as one of the NL’s best pitchers, even starting the All-Star game.
Jimenez was bothered by a cracked cuticle on his thumb in April, an ailment that landed him briefly on the disabled list.
Lately, it’s been more about controlling his dipping and diving fastball.
He’s showing signs of busting out of his slump, throwing eight sharp innings in a win over Washington just before the break. Still, the Rockies hardly expected Jimenez to be 4-8 with a 4.14 ERA at this stage.
"That is a little bit surprising," Tracy said. "(We’ve) got some work to do. And yet, we still find ourselves ... within striking distance."
-- Pat Graham
Mets GM says K-Rod deal not ‘a significant change’
NEW YORK (AP) — Francisco Rodriguez is gone, and Jose Reyes and Carlos Beltran could be next.
It all depends on the next couple of weeks for the New York Mets.
Sitting on the fringe of the playoff race, the Mets got rid of a potentially costly problem at closer when they sent Rodriguez and cash to the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night for two players to be named.
New York (46-45) is third in the NL East and 7½ games behind the wild card-leading Braves heading into the opener of its first post-All-Star break series on Friday against Philadelphia. And general manager Sandy Alderson said Wednesday the K-Rod trade doesn’t change the Mets’ status.
The Mets still have a strong bullpen, but now they’ve shifted payroll — to a team that is tied for the lead in its division.
"This certainly does not signify a change in direction from our continuing attempt to win games this season," Alderson said. "I certainly would not draw any conclusions from this transaction."
Alderson also said in a conference call he knows there is interest from other teams in acquiring players such as All-Stars Beltran and Reyes, but he plans to see how the next two weeks play out.
"Carlos’ situation is well known to all teams," Alderson said. "Not surprisingly, given his situation as well as his performance this year, there has been a lot of interest."
There was plenty of interest in K-Rod, too. The Mets figured they could get more for him now than closer to the July 31 deadline for trading without waivers.
The 29-year-old Rodriguez is 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 23 saves, a year after a fracas with a family member at Citi Field led to his arrest, an injury and the early end of his season. He is a four-time All-Star and set the single-season saves record with 62 in 2008 with the Angels.
Rodriguez has a contract clause that guarantees him $17.5 million in 2012 if he finishes 55 games this year. The right-hander currently has finished 34 and is on pace to vest, though he may not get ample chances to do that with the Brewers.
"As far as where Frankie was in achieving his vesting option, I don’t think that was a factor either," Alderson said. "I’m not suggesting that that whole option consideration was not a factor. It was one of many. But he certainly wasn’t going to vest by the end of July."
Alderson said the Mets are helping Milwaukee cover "a substantial portion, but not all" of the roughly $8.4 million Rodriguez is due from them this year.
Rodriguez is in his 10th major league season. He is 32-27 with 291 saves and a 2.54 ERA with the Angels and Mets, who signed him as a free agent after his record-setting year when they figured their strongest need was a proven closer.
Now the Mets have a closer ready to replace K-Rod, likely Jason Isringhausen or Bobby Parnell. What they need is the bats of David Wright (stress fracture in lower back) and Ike Davis (bone bruise in his ankle) back in the lineup.
That still may not be enough.
"Ike is some time away," Alderson said. "We expect to have David back by the deadline."
Stats website baseballprospectus.com gave the Mets a less than two percent chance to make the postseason before play resumed on Thursday. New York came out of the All-Star break within three games of eight other NL teams — though Milwaukee and St. Louis are tied atop the NL Central — and has 16 games left this month.
"We’re obviously at a delicate point as far as wins and losses," Alderson said. "In some sense, it’s not just our 10 percent of the season, but it’s reflected in the seasons of seven or eight different teams."
— Rick Freeman
Rodriguez, Axford co-closers for Brewers?
MILWAUKEE (AP) — With their trade for Francisco Rodriguez, the Milwaukee Brewers now can call on a pair of potential closers. And in a tense ninth-inning situation, it sounds as if either Rodriguez or John Axford could get in the game.
Brewers general manager Doug Melvin said both Rodriguez and Axford, the team’s current closer, will get chances to finish games as Milwaukee makes a push for the playoffs.
"We’re not going to get involved with the roles at this time," Melvin said Wednesday. "When you’re a championship club, you need to have everybody pulling together."
Melvin said he talked to both Rodriguez and Axford in the wake of the trade with the New York Mets, which came together quickly Tuesday and was announced almost immediately after the All-Star game. The Mets sent Rodriguez and cash to Milwaukee for two players to be named.
Melvin told Axford, who has a 2.83 ERA and 23 saves this season, to "not get nervous" about the addition.
Melvin said he’s confident both Rodriguez and Axford will be willing to adjust to less-defined roles, whether they’re setting up, closing or sitting in the bullpen on any given night.
"There’s three or four games every night that are lost in the seventh, eighth or ninth innings," Melvin said. "And if you look at most of these ballclubs that win, and consider themselves teams that are going to be headed to championships or playoffs, they all have identifiable or recognizable guys pitching the eighth and the ninth innings."
Of course, giving the ball to Rodriguez every night could be costly.
Melvin said the Brewers were aware of a clause in Rodriguez’s contract that guarantees him $17.5 million in 2012 if he finishes 55 games this year. The right-hander has finished 34 and is on pace to achieve the mark.
"I think that’s what scared a lot of teams off," Melvin said. "But the opportunity arose, we had the chance to get someone the caliber of K-Rod."
It’s unlikely that the Brewers could afford that salary next season, but the contract clause could become a moot point if Rodriguez and Axford share closer duties.
"In a pennant race, there’s a chance you could go out and have six straight one-run ballgames," Melvin said. "There’s no way that any one guy can close six games in a row."
The trade for Rodriguez, is another indication that the Brewers are built to make a playoff run this year. They added starters Zack Greinke and Shaun Marcum in the offseason, and Prince Fielder may leave as a free agent after this season. Milwaukee is tied with St. Louis for the NL Central lead.
But Melvin believes the Brewers’ window to win lasts more than one year, saying he hopes they’re "all in" next year, too.
The 29-year-old Rodriguez is 2-2 with a 3.16 ERA and 23 saves. He set the single-season saves record with 62 in 2008 with the Angels.
Melvin said Rodriguez’s velocity isn’t where it was a few years ago, but he’s still an effective pitcher who gets strikeouts and ground balls.
Melvin, who was walking to Starbucks in Chicago on Tuesday morning when he got a call from Mets general manager Sandy Alderson proposing the trade, said he would have regretted walking away from the chance to acquire Rodriguez if the Brewers end up having more injuries in their bullpen.
And Melvin didn’t want to wait for the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline to get closer.
"If you wait, there’s no guarantees you’ll get somebody," Melvin said. "And sometimes when you wait longer, it’s reactionary. You make a deal because other clubs made a deal."
That said, Melvin might not be done dealing.
"We’re still open to adding someone," Melvin said.
— Chris Jenkins
Creditors committee picked in Dodgers bankruptcy
WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — The parents of a San Francisco Giants fan brutally beaten at Dodger Stadium on opening day this year have been named to the official creditors committee in the Dodgers' bankruptcy case.
Elizabeth Ann Stow and David Stow sued the Dodgers after their son, Bryan, was beaten and left in critical condition with head injuries. They were appointed to the creditors committee Wednesday as conservators on his behalf.
The Dodgers filed for bankruptcy protection in Delaware last month, blaming a cash-flow crisis on Major League Baseball's refusal to approve a multibillion-dollar TV deal McCourt was counting on to keep the franchise afloat.
Also named to the creditors committee were the Major League Baseball Players Association, KABC Radio, AVM Systems and Pyro Events Inc.
-- Randall Chase
